Zhou Huilin (center right), head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Shanghai Municipal Committee, and Lu Cairong (center left), Vice President of China International Publishing Group (CIPG), unveil the exhibition booth at the 2020 Shanghai Book Fair displaying the third volume of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, on August 12 (COURTESY PHOTO)

The third volume of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China that was recently published helps readers better understand the principles and practices of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Published in both Chinese and English, the book is a collection of 92 articles that contain speeches, conversations, instructions and letters by Chinese President Xi Jinping between October 18, 2017, and January 13, 2020. The volume also contains 41 photos of the leader during the same period.

Importance of good governance

The development path of China is a comprehensive lesson on good governance that African nations are keen to learn from. There is something unique about China's governance that has enabled the nation to attain such speedy modernization in the last few decades. Among them are a professed commitment to "seeking truth from facts," a scientific outlook on development, a deep understanding of history, culture and relationships, as well as progress in science and technology, healthcare, education, business and employment. Xi Jinping: The Governance of China is a vital book for those interested in politics and would like to understand the governing philosophy as well as policies in China.

Since the world is always eager to understand China's system, the book is key to better understanding China's development, solidarity with other nations, and the reforms the country implemented while combating corruption. The book also highlights how the CPC has combined the fundamental principles of Marxism with China's own reality. It embodies the increasingly mature governance of China and shows the far-reaching impact of the worldview of building a community with a shared future for humanity. The book is an authoritative work that comprehensively and systematically reflects Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

I believe the third volume of the book is vital as it reveals the political compass of the Chinese leadership, what the Chinese Government wants to communicate to its citizens as well as the world, and the development of the CPC and the state under Xi's leadership. On top of that, the book also records the thinking and actions of the Chinese leadership by telling us that progress is not possible without a sound and complete governing mechanism. The book helps us understand that good governance is the "master key" to solving the problems in a nation.

Responsibility in world affairs

Furthermore, the third volume highlights Xi's extensive vision, deep knowledge and sound wisdom in running the nation's affairs, as well as his accurate understanding of world politics and the relations between China and other nations. Among the topics highlighted in the book is the concept of "building a community with a shared future for humanity." Xi believes that the world is a common home of humanity, and we should work together to face massive global challenges, like the raging coronavirus pandemic. The concept is in line with China's foreign policy and initiatives, such as the Belt and Road Initiative. Under the initiative, Chinese firms are actively involved in various infrastructure projects in Africa. Chinese investment in Africa has notably surged since the launch of the initiative, which is a positive sign for the economic cooperation between African nations and China. I believe the general public will enjoy reading the book because the new volume goes a long way in enlightening the globe on how the CPC views its role in China and the world.

As such, Xi, via numerous elaborations in his book, showcases the position of China as a responsible nation that would shoulder more responsibility in global governance. The five principles of peaceful coexistence, which have guided the Chinese diplomatic engagement since the 1950s, are consistently enriched and upgraded to adapt to the changing global landscape.

The book also highlights Xi's vision on environmental protection, hard work, family values and even support for unions. Concerning environmental protection, China's environmental conditions have greatly improved and the nation has lived up to its commitments to mitigate climate change.

Xi is a promoter of equality. He believes that "all nations, big or small, strong or weak, wealthy or poor, must treat each other equally and build a stronger community where we all thrive together. Therefore, we need to assist each other in attaining sound development. The world will be a better place only when everyone is better off. China's development poses no threats to others and China's rejuvenation will only expand the convergence of interests with other nations. Therefore, I particularly like China's goal of a "moderately prosperous society," as opposed to mindless accumulation of material goods and money. Following a people-centered development philosophy, the CPC focuses on the most immediate, most realistic issues that concern people and is continuously assuring and improving people's livelihoods to promote social fairness and justice. It is revitalizing for me to read Xi affirming that "in order to meet our development objectives, we must enrich ourselves not only materially but culturally, socially and ethically as well."

This philosophy has made China "a great nation" and helped China play a significant role in civilization's advancement. Meanwhile, China, with thousands of years of history, has proposed to build a community with a shared future for humanity with strong cohesion, continuity, inclusiveness, and openness.

With that said, I think good governance should be seen as the heart of a nation. When the heart stops beating, there is nothing but a dead nation. It is no wonder the book is seen as an operational manual on how to run a nation in the 21st century. The book also shows how global leaders can govern a nation and adapt imported ideas to suit their nations' culture, history and domestic conditions. As such, I think the book should be seen as a good resource as well as a significant window for world leaders, especially African leaders, to look into the thinking and actions of China's current leadership on the nation's governance.

Embodying the philosophy and ideas of a serving leader, the book is accessible to the world in multiple languages and different volumes and has been trending on diverse social media. Therefore, I think every African leader should produce something like this and make it generally accessible to the public.

The author is executive director of the Center for Nigerian Studies, Institute of African Studies, Zhejiang Normal University

(Print Edition Title: An Inspiring Manual)

Comments to zanjifang@chinafrica.cn